The pain will end, Naruto
by blushing.soulz
Summary: I will continue this story of Naruto, who gets severely injured and have his life put at stake! If you like drama, read this! Feel free to leave some constructive criticism or feedback! Ty ;)
1. Pain

Naruto's eyes widened. Did Iruka just say…

"I'm sorry Naruto. Jiraya Sensei has passed away. He went down fighting for us. For you."

A large tear ran down Naruto's cheek, catching Kakashi and Sakura by surprise. Tsunade, trying to hold back her tears cleared her throat.

"If you need anything, Naruto, just-"

Naruto ran out of the room, leaving a trail of tear behind him. Kakashi, turning to try and follow was held back.

"Let him be," Tsunade whispered, choking back her emotions before standing up and leaving.

Naruto sprinted through the woods, not caring about where he would end up, just caring about getting away. When he arrived by an old, winding willow tree, Naruto slumped against it, and buried his face in his knees.

Without holding back, Naruto burst into tears, as memories of Pervy Sage ran through his mind. Getting new clothes, learning the summoning jutsu, rescuing people and going on adventures. And the one person who made them all possible… was now dead. The rustling of the leaves blocked out the choked-out cries of Naruto's.

After what felt like an hour, Naruto raised his head at the sound of footsteps. Scanning the area around him, Naruto could see no one, and decided it was just the rustling of leaves. Sinking back into his sadness, Naruto leaned against the tree and closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a warm and scaly hand close around his throat. With quick reflexes, Naruto yelped and tried to swing around, only to find the hand close tighter around his neck.

"Don't move, or I'll strangle you," a deep, mysterious voice spoke. "You, demon, will now serve your punishment. Your sensei, Jiraya, caused damage to my village."

Naruto's eyes widened. Pervy Sage would do no such thing! Struggling in the grasp of the stranger, Naruto was suddenly thrust forward, face planting into the soft earth below. A hard foot met his back, and Naruto felt his spine crack. Howling in pain, a hurricane of fists landed all over his body. Pain coursed through his body with every kick and blow. The coppery smell of blood filled Naruto's senses, becoming more distinct. As a foot met his face, Naruto felt himself drift into unconsciousness.

"Stupid bastard," the stranger said and walked away, leaving Naruto's unconscious body laying there.


	2. Make it stop!

"Naruto! Naruto where are you?" Iruka yelled. Ever since Naruto disappeared for hours, Iruka had been panicked, worrying for his brother-like student. Kakashi summoned his tracking hounds, all of which appeared in a pool of smoke.

"What's up now, Kakashi," Pakkun mumbled. Kakashi and Iruka filled him in with the details, Pakkun's facial expression changing.

"And Sakura and Sasuke?"

"I told them to go home."

Pakkun nodded and lowered his head. After a minute of sniffing his surroundings, he found a trace of Naruto.

"This way," he barked and led Iruka and Kakashi to Naruto.

As Iruka, Kakashi and Pakkun came closer, they noticed a red figure laying unconscious on the floor. Kakashi ran over, and found a blood-drenched figure of Naruto, limp on the grassy surface.

"Naruto! Naruto, what happened!? Can you hear me?" Kakashi half screamed, half cried. Iruka gasped and held a hand to his mouth, wondering what happened to Naruto.

"He's… not d-d-dead is he?" Iruka whispered. Kakashi shook his head with a worried expression.

"Not yet." And with that, he scooped up the bleeding and broken Naruto, and carried him back to the village. Kakashi inspected the face of Naruto, noting the deep gash across his cheek, not to mention his severely broken bones all over his body. He noticed that as he was carrying Naruto, his unconscious form grunted and groaned at every movement.

"Stay with us Naruto, we'll get you to Lady Tsunade as soon as we can. Hold on."

Kakashi burst into the hospital, Iruka and Pakkun hot on his trails. Naruto's health had dropped considerably. The nurses rushed over to Kakashi, resting Naruto on a mobile bed. Pakkun disappeared in a cloud of smoke as Kakashi comforted Iruka who was crying. Seeing Naruto, a lively and resilient teen all beat up and in pain stung both their hearts.

Tsunade approached the two sensei's and asked for the details.

"This is no good," she gasped. Signalling for the two to follow, they rushed into an operating room where Naruto lay, being prepared for an operation to fix his many wounds.

"We wont be able to fully heal them all, and his chakra seems to be weak. At this rate, he's lucky to be alive. You did the right thing bringing him here."

Moving to Naruto's side, Tsunade picked up a clipboard, and scribbled down his condition.

"As far as I can see, Naruto has broken his spine, his right leg, his nose and both arms. Not to mention muscle, tissue and cartilage damage throughout his body." Iruka sniffled back his tears, Kakashi rubbing his hand comfortingly on his back. Two surgeons led them out of the room, and the last thing Kakashi saw was Naruto's face contort in pain.

\- A day later –

Naruto's eyes slowly drifted open, his eyelid's feeling heavy. Pain coursed through his body as he tried to sit up.

Kakashi lay down his magazine and turned to Naruto, gently pushing him back down.

"Don't get up. Not yet. I'm so glad you're awake, Naruto. You had us all worrying."

Naruto winced in pain, clenching his teeth to stop him from screaming out. Kakashi noticed this, and ran his hand through Naruto's hair.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Naruto looked at Kakashi Sensei's concerned face, and he explained that he was so upset about Jiraya's death, that he ran into the woods. After crying, someone attacked him.

"Who? Do you remember that?"

Naruto shook his head, only to recoil in pain. Pervy sage… Gone. A tear tumbled slowly down Naruto's cheek, and Kakashi wiped it away.

"Im sorry Naruto. I really am. He was a great guy. But he hasn't left you. He will always be in here," Kakashi said, pointing at his chest. Naruto, too tired to complain slowly nodded. A fist rapped at the door, as Tsunade entered the room.

"I see you're awake," she smiled and strode over to him. "I need to do a checkup quickly, Naruto. Then we can talk." Tsunade inspected his wounds, writing information down on her clipboard. His leg was still broken in multiple places, despite the doctors attempts to heal it. His arms weren't as bad, but were still causing him pain. When it came to rolling Naruto on his side, he howled in pain, shocking Kakashi.

"Stop! That hurts! Please, Granny!" He screamed. Kakashi grabbed Naruto's flailing hands, to stop him from injuring himself. Tears of pain streamed down Naruto's face. Never before had Kakashi seen Naruto in so much pain. Tsunade quickly and successfully managed to roll him onto his side, trying to ignore his calls of pain. Naruto's back was purple with bruises, gauze on multiple deep wounds and stitches running down his spine. The doctors struggled to fix Naruto's back, as it was severely injured. A bead of sweat trickled down Tsunade's forehead, catching Kakashi's attention.

"Shall I open the windows?" he offered, as Naruto clenched his teeth and fists in pain.

"Please… make it stop…" Naruto begged quietly.


	3. A slow start

"Yes, open the window, Kakashi," Tsunade approved, casting a watchful eye on Naruto. "As for you Naruto, I promise I will try to make the pain bearable."

A whimper escaped Naruto's clenched teeth as Kakashi withdrew the curtains and opened the window. A cool breeze blew into the room, blowing Naruto's spiky blonde hair in all directions. Naruto slowly rolled into a comfortable position, wincing as he did so. Tsunade pulled a blanket over Naruto's body, covering up the battle scars splayed on his body.

"Get some rest. In an hour, a nurse will come in and help you eat. If you cant manage to keep it down, it's onto a drip and pureed food. As for you Kakashi, I expect you to get rest as well. Naruto will be fine," she said, lowering her voice on the word 'fine'.

Kakashi sighed, not wanting to leave, but eventually walked out of the room.

"Cya soon, Naruto."

Shortly after Kakashi & Tsunade's departure, Naruto drifted off into sleep, numbing the pains throughout his body.

A sharp, searing pain shot through Naruto's back, causing him to awake and yelp. The pain became worse, causing Naruto to curl into a tight ball on the bed. If he yelled, he'd get in trouble and worry others. If he didn't… he didn't know what would happen.

As if his questions were answered, a nurse came in, presumably the one to help him eat. After seeing Naruto quietly weeping in pain, curled in a ball, she rushed over and asked him what was wrong.

"The pain… in my back," he seethed, holding back his screams of agony. The nurse pressed a button on the wall. Naruto trembled, clenching and unclenching his feet. A soothing hand rubbed his, trying to comfort him.

"Why am I in so much pain?" he whispered, not sure how long he could contain his pain. Three doctors rushed in, shortly followed by Tsunade.

The nurse who aided Naruto filled each of them in about Naruto's condition.

"Naruto, you're too active for your own good. The pain is mostly emitted from your back. To hurry up the speeding process, you need to relax and limit your movements. I know, you're a fidgety teen, but it's for your own benefit. If you weren't the jinchūriki, you wouldn't be alive right now."

Naruto couldn't hold back his pain any longer, and responded with a choked out scream, burning his lungs and his throat. This outburst shocked all the nurses, doctors and Tsunade, as they quickly rushed to his side. Tears streamed down his face, as pain rummaged it's was along his back.

"Calm down, Naruto! Dr. M, prepare the sedative!" Tsunade said, Dr. M rushing off to get the injection.

After Naruto had tired of screaming, Dr. M came in, and pressed the needle into Naruto's side.

"Sorry for… the… noise…" Naruto drifted off, closing his eyes peacefully. His breathing resumed to normal, and everyone around him let out a relieved sigh.

"No one mention Jiraya, or else he'll go on a rampage. And from now on, we have to closely monitor him. He isn't getting any better, and his chakra is too weakened at the moment to speed up the healing process. When he wakes, we'll test him to see if he can keep food down. Then, we will work on repairing the other injuries. It says here," Tsunade said, tapping the clipboard, "that his broken arms and fractured leg are slowly mending. I'd like to complete these first before moving onto his back."

Everyone nodded and left the room.

'Oh Naruto,' Tsunade thought to herself. 'I wish I could stop the pain sooner. I will help you, whatever it takes. Jiraya really did see potential in you.'


	4. Keeping down food

Kakashi opened the door, Iruka by his side.

"Hey Naruto," Iruka said sitting by Naruto, who was slowly awakening. Iruka saw how pale and gaunt Naruto's face was. Kakashi strolled to the window, gazing at the sunshine outside.

"Kakashi Sensei... Iruka Sensei…" Naruto smiled weakly, slowly rolling. Pain shot through his back, making him grunt.

"Naruto, careful!" Kakashi and Iruka said in unison, helping Naruto roll onto his stomach. Naruto's shirt lifted up halfway, displaying the deep wounds and vertical stitches running down his spine. Iruka gasped, reverting his eyes to Naruto's face, buried in the pillow.

"Jiraya would laugh if he saw you like this-"Kakashi began but quickly shut his mouth. The last thing they needed was for Naruto to be upset about the death of Jiraya!

A sniffle sounded from where Naruto's face was buried in the pillow. A quiet sob broke the silence and Iruka ran his fingers through Naruto's blonde hair. No one uttered a word, Kakashi instantly regretting opening his mouth.

"Sorry Naruto," Kakashi said, patting the boy's hand very gently. Naruto slowly twisted his head, wincing as he did, and quietly muttered, "It's fine, Sensei. But Jiraya would never like to see me upset like this. And as you said, he isn't gone from…" Naruto rocked onto his side and dragged his broken right arm to his chest. "From here."

Iruka sniffled back tears and smiled. How charming and brave Naruto had become. A nurse slid open the door, disturbing the three. She claimed to come and see if Naruto could try keep his food down. Releasing an exhausting sigh, Naruto was helped to sit up, groaning as he did.

"If you two would be kind enough to stay, I'm sure Naruto would like some company," the nurse said, smiling at Iruka and Kakashi. The two sensei's nodded and sat in two chairs against the wall. Kakashi took out his book and started reading.

The nurse offered Naruto a piece of toast with butter, which he took shakily. The nurse explained that he could take as much time as he needed and that the only thing that mattered was that he could keep it down. Naruto brought the toast to his mouth. The smell of food turned him off, and he clutched his stomach. The nurse grabbed a bucket and offered it to Naruto, who pushed it away. He bit into the bread, piece by piece, until it was gone. The nurse held up a cup with water, which Naruto slowly drank.

"How do you feel?" the nurse questioned.

Naruto flattened his hand and twisted it back and forth, the equivalent of saying 'ok'. She nodded approvingly and stood up.

"Good job. Now we have to see if you can keep it down. If you start to feel sick, get someone to grab the bucket by your bedside." And with that, she left the room.

Naruto felt exhausted, not to mention strange. He lowered himself and gazed up at the roof. He chuckled quietly to himself, despite the pain. He had eaten for the first time in 2 days. Kakashi lowered his book, only to find Iruka asleep, quietly snoring beside him and Naruto staring upwards.

"Good job," Kakashi grinned, sitting on the edge of his bed. Naruto smiled weakly. What happened next surprised Kakashi. Tear's trickled down Naruto's face.

"I did it for Pervy Sage."

A warm smile spread across Kakashi's face. "Of course, you did Naruto. He would be proud."

Naruto raised a hand, which Kakashi took. Before long, Naruto was drifting off to sleep, still clutching Kakashi's hand. Never before had Kakashi had a relationship like this with his student.

'Don't you see, Jiraya? You gave this boy, this courageous boy, something no one else did. You gave him hope,' Kakashi thought to himself. Kakashi fought back tears of pride, and quietly fell asleep, still holding Naruto's hand. If only the silence and peace could continue for a long time.

Naruto woke suddenly, clutching his stomach and making gagging noise. Kakashi woke due to the noise and movements, and took him a second to realise what was happening. Naruto couldn't move without pain, struggling to sit up. Kakashi swiftly raised to bucket at his feet to Naruto just in time. Naruto emptied his guts, Kakashi rubbing his shoulder. Noticing all the commotion, Iruka woke up from his slumber. Seeing Naruto so pale and frail, he rushed over to Kakashi and his student.

"S-s-sorry K-k-k-kakashi Sensei…" Naruto whispered, shutting his eyes tightly. "I feel… so… awful…" he whimpered, clenching his stomach. He doubled over, emptying the remains of his food into the bucket. Iruka went to fetch a nurse and left Kakashi with the sickly Naruto.

"Don't apologise. It happens to us all."

Naruto managed to sit up with the help of Kakashi, grunting as he did. He leaned against his sensei's shoulder as Iruka arrived back with a nurse by his side. She grabbed the bucket from him, and offered Naruto a cloth to wipe his face.

"We have to get you up to the bathroom to clean you up. While we do so, I'll get someone to clean up here."

She wrapped an arm under Naruto's armpit, taking hold of his hand. Naruto hissed in pain as he stood.

"Lean on me, and do not put any pressure on your broken leg," she warned, Iruka rushing to his other side, supporting him. Kakashi went to fetch someone to clean up the mess and to freshen himself up.

Naruto shuffled down the corridor incredibly slow. With each step, pain spread across his face. Turning around a corner, Naruto noticed Tsunade strolling quickly towards him.

"I heard that you couldn't manage to keep your food down. Look's like we'll have to put you on a drip. After we get you cleaned up, we'll move you to a room closer to my office," Tsunade said, taking note of how pale Naruto looked.

As for Naruto himself, he felt himself feel suddenly heavy, as if every movement made him more tired and weak. He couldn't utter a word, afraid that he would pass out.

"If only you would… Naruto, you look as white as a sheet!... Naruto, are you alr-" Before Tsunade could finish her lecture, Naruto went limp. He would've fallen to the floor if it weren't for the nurse and Iruka catching him. His limbs went flaying, Iruka and the nurse trying to hold him.

"He's fitting!" Tsunade exclaimed, a doctor behind her grabbing a gurney bed.

"One, two, three, lift!" Tsunade said, lifting Naruto onto it. As she did so, he let out a short scream of pain.


	5. A frightful event

As Naruto shook on the gurney bed, three doctors, Tsunade, Iruka and Shizune tried to hold him down. A doctor placed a hand on Naruto's forehead, only to whip it away.

"He has a high temperature. We need to get him to the room next to your office, Lord Hokage."

Everyone sped up, Naruto making gurgling and grunting noises as they did. Skidding around the corner, Iruka noticed Sakura standing in the hallway, a look of utter shock and sadness on her face. As they turned another corner, a tear dribbled down Sakura's face.

As they arrived at a room, they swiftly lifted Naruto onto a bed. His body was no longer convulsing as bad, but the doctors gave him medication anyway.

After what seemed like hours, Kakashi came bolting into the room, seeing all the doctors testing Naruto's silent body for multiple things. Iruka stood up and strode over to him.

"I knew you were all away for too long for it to be a bathroom trip! I asked a nurse if she knew where you were, and she told me Naruto had a fit!" Kakashi gasped, catching his breath.

Iruka nodded, placing a hand on his shoulder. The two walked over to the seats and plonked themselves on them. Realising that he had an oxygen mask on his face, Naruto turned his head, peering at the two sensei with worried expressions. He mouthed 'I'm sorry' to his two teachers, who responded back with a loving, concerned face.

-In Naruto's mind-

"Kyuubi, why won't you heal me! I can't take this pain anymore, and I hate seeing my friends so concerned!"

A soft chuckle sounded before an answer. "Kit, they've damaged me too. I'm still trying to heal myself before you! You've drained 80% of my chakra by surviving this accident! I swore to protect you, but this is too much. At this rate, I'll finish healing myself in 4 weeks."

"4 WEEKS! I DON'T HAVE THAT LONG, KYUUBI," Naruto yelled glaring at the fox through the bars of its cage. It did look noticeably thinner, its tails not as poofy. "Is there any way to speed up the process?"

Kyuubi shook her head, her blood-red eyes gazing into his. "For your own safety, I will not give you my remaining chakra until I've healed myself. I'll be in better control. I'm surprised you haven't changed into me yet," Kyuubi snickered.

The thought crossed Naruto's mind.

-End of Naruto's mind conversation-

Naruto came to his senses, and realised a doctor was looming over him.

"Did you catch that? As soon as you can keep food down, the better. We need to keep your energy up. The drip will keep you hydrated, but unless you want to starve, we have to keep trying."

Naruto nodded as the doctor turned away.

"Oh and Naruto? Don't move around so much."

The door shut behind the doctor, as the rest of the nurses nodded and left as well. The silence was broken by the noises of machines counting Naruto's heartbeat. Letting out a painful sigh, Naruto gazed at a piece of toast on his bedside table. He frowned lay on the bed, examining the tubes and needles attached to his arms. Naruto could feel each breath he took, and saw the cloud of air in his oxygen mask.

Iruka chuckled to himself, only to be rewarded with stares by Naruto and Kakashi.

"It's so strange, seeing Naruto, a usually exciting ball of energy sitting still for once!"

Kakashi laughed too, smiling at Naruto.

"Yeah well I sure don't like it," Naruto half wheezed, half laughed. "Kakashi Sensei, Iruka Sensei?"

Both turned their heads and look at Naruto.

"Thank you for… being by my side. I've never had this sort of care before," Naruto said, his voice muffled by the mask.

Iruka's heart felt heavy with guilt. He could've changed that, and he wanted to so bad. But it's never too late. He stood and clenched Naruto's droopy hand in his, noticing Kakashi did the same with his other hand. Kakashi has a genuine smile on his face. Iruka and Kakashi both knew that they cared for this boy so much.

"It's fine Naruto. You just keep on persisting, and there's no doubt you'll make a great Hokage one day," Kakashi smiled.

Naruto's eyes felt heavy. As he slowly drifted into a sleep, the last words he heard were spoken by Iruka. "You're like a little brother to me, Naruto. Always know that."

Kakashi ran his fingers through the boys blonde hair before standing in the middle of the room with his hands on his hips. Confused, Iruka turned and faced Kakashi.

"The room next door has 2 spare hospital beds. I know it isn't homely, but I'd like to stay close to Naruto in case something happens. I can ask Lord Hokage if we could possibly stay in there tonight?"

A smile lit up on Iruka's face. Yes, it wasn't perfect, comfortable or inviting, but Iruka nodded. The two sensei's walked out the room, leaving Naruto to sleep.

-Authors Notes-

Hey guys! I'd just like to thank you all for the reviews, they were very helpful and encouraging! Will Naruto recover, or….? Stay tuned for what happens next.


	6. Taking a step

Naruto woke early in the morning, slowly turning onto his side and gazing at the plain, cream ceiling. He examined all the chips of paint, dents and bubbles in silence.

'Jiraya, oh how I miss you' Naruto thought to himself. The loss of Pervy Sage was still paining him, but Naruto reminded himself that Jiraya would not want him to be upset the whole time. As soon as he recovered, Naruto was going to revisit all the things he did with Pervy Sage.

Tsunade slid the door open and grinned at Naruto.

"Feeling any better, brat?"

Naruto grinned back and rolled onto his stomach.

"My arms don't feel as painful anymore, and my headache has cleared. But my back..." Naruto winced.

Tsunade nodded, taking in the information. She strode over to his bedside and lifted up his shirt, revealing the jagged stitches down his back. The bruises had turned a sickly purple-yellow colour, but his deep gashes were healing. Tsunade traced her fingers down the stitches. Naruto seethed quietly in pain as she did so, biting the pillow to stop him from making loud noises.

"Your back is still terrible Naruto, but if you're able to move as much as you can now, we might as well try and get you to walk a few meters daily. If it proves too much, we'll put it off for a few weeks. As for your gashes and bruises, they're healing slowly."

Naruto exhaled and closed his eyes.

"When do I start?"

"You can start after breakfast. Ill get Kakashi Sensei and Iruka Sensei to assist you, in case you need it. They've been staying in the room next to you. You're lucky to have such caring teachers and friends."

As soon as she said that, Kakashi and Iruka Sensei burst into the room, the bags under their eyes no longer visible. They saw Tsunade inspecting the stitches down Naruto's back.

"Good morning, Lord Hokage and Naruto," Iruka said cheerfully with a bright smile on his face. Naruto raised an eyebrow as Tsunade lowered his shirt back down. She helped Naruto sit up.

"What's gotten you so cheerful, Iruka Sensei?" Naruto questioned, gazing at Kakashi then Iruka.

"No nothing! We just caught up on some sleep, hey Kakashi?"

The silver haired sensei nodded and strolled to Naruto's side. Tsunade filled them in about assisting Naruto when he starts to walk. A nurse brought in some fruit salad for Naruto's breakfast. He hesitated before slowly eating. It took all his concentration to keep his food down, and after finishing the bowl, Tsunade wished them luck and left the room.

"Well, we have work to do! First, Lord Hokage told us to support you, and when you feel ready we'll let you try on your own," Kakashi said, inching towards Naruto.

Naruto nodded and slowly swung his legs out of the bed. With supporting arms under his, Naruto stood with Iruka and Kakashi by his side.

"Take it slowly," Iruka warned. Each step was painful, but Naruto made it to the door. Iruka slid it open, and they began their trek down the hallway.

Naruto winced as he shuffled down the hallway, using all his energy to shift his feet. One step. Two step. Three step.

Twenty steps. As he looked up, Naruto saw they had come to the end of the hallway, leading to a sharp turn. Iruka smiled and Kakashi probably did too, even though no one could notice under his mask.

"I think… I think I can try on my own now," Naruto said, not wanting to show signs of weakness. The two sensei's looked at each other, then back at Naruto.

"If you think you're ready, go ahead," Kakashi said quietly. Naruto took one step forward and wobbled on his feet. Kakashi went to stabilise him, but Naruto pushed him away.

"I'll be fine," he said, gritting his teeth. He shuffled two more steps. Then a few more. The pain was almost become unbearable, but he toughed it out and walked further. Each step became more of a drag, scraping his feet to take another step. Before he knew it, he made it to the end of the next hallway, before staggering into the wall. The pain. The unbearable pain. It was getting the better of him.

Naruto groaned, and quietly sobbed. His back was killing him. Noticing this, Iruka and Kakashi dashed to his side. They both supported him, feeling his fragile body. Naruto drooped his head, not daring to make eye contact with his sensei's.

"I think we've done enough for one day," Iruka said worriedly. "We can carry you back to the room if you'd like, Naruto?"

Naruto reverted his gaze to the floor not responding.

"Naruto? Would you prefer that?"

A tear strolled down his cheek, catching Kakashi and Iruka by surprise. They both hunched over to look at Naruto's face.

"I just want to get better already. But the pain…" Naruto whimpered clutching his back. It pained the two sensei's to see their excitable, resilient, energetic student like this. They wrapped Naruto in a hug, noticing how tall he'd gotten.

'16 and still a sensitive soul' Kakashi thought to himself. After a few minutes of silence, they stopped hugging Naruto and swung his arms over their shoulders.

"I know you can do this Naruto! Let's just take it nice and slow. After this, I'll get you something special. I think you deserve that after all this hard work," Kakashi said, lending Naruto his bravery. Nodding, Naruto look up and they made their journey down the hallway, a left turn and into the room.

\- 30 minutes later-

They lay Naruto down into the bed. He was grateful to finally rest, but Naruto couldn't help but think of the progress he had made today. Iruka and Kakashi exchanged smiles, and sat on the end of Naruto's bed.

"Thanks, Kaka-Sensei and oni-chan…" Naruto said before closing his eyes.

Iruka gasped, fighting back tears.

"Did he just call me… brother?"

Kakashi nodded and patted Iruka on the back.

"Let's let him rest. Would you like to go to Ichiraku's Ramen store?" Kakashi offered, eyeing Naruto.

Iruka shushed him, not wanting to wake Naruto up, but nodded. They walked out of the room quietly, Iruka peering back at the resting Naruto. The Naruto that was like his younger brother. The Naruto who had called him brother.


	7. Should've visited sooner

Naruto woke in silence. He looked around, before slowly sitting up. A burst of pain shot through his back.

"I wont… let you… ruin my day," Naruto growled to himself, pushing the pain aside. His legs ached and cracked as he swung them out of bed. No one was around, and he decided to try and walk around the room.

Clenching onto the chair beside his bed, Naruto lifted himself up and gazed around the boring room.

'If I don't recover quickly, I'll be seeing this room for a month to go,' he thought to himself. Shuffling one foot in front of the other, Naruto eventually made it to the window. Just as his legs gave way, Naruto grabbed onto the windowsill, catching his fall. He grunted as his knees hit the floor, sending a sharp pain throughout his torso.

\- Sasuke and Sakura –

"I wonder how Naruto is today," Sakura said, strolling down the hospital aisle with Sasuke. They'd both felt guilty that they hadn't seen their teammate sooner. They both just thought that seeing their energetic friend, who was clutching onto his life only a few weeks ago in poor condition would dishearten them.

Sakura stopped abruptly, Sasuke almost crashing into her.

"Kakashi Sensei!"

The silver haired sensei looked down at them both with a look that was anything but pleased.

"So you finally decided to see your injured teammate," he said, with a tone of slight disgust. Sasuke and Sakura looked down and mumbled their apology. After a minute of silence and glares, Kakashi turned around.

"His room is this way. Iruka is getting him breakfast."

\- Naruto –

He started breathing heavily, trying to hoist himself onto his feet. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, when suddenly the door slid open.

"Hey Naru-" Kakashi said joyfully when he noticed Naruto kneeling on the floor. He rushed to his side, Sakura and Sasuke trailing quickly behind.

"Are you alright? What happened!?" Kakashi said kneeling beside Naruto. He then noticed Naruto smiling.

"I walked… from the bed… to here… by myself," Naruto wheezed, only to be answered with a sigh of relief from his teammates and sensei.

Kakashi hooked an arm under Naruto's and led him over to the bed.

'Naruto feels so light!' Kakashi thought to himself with a frown. He then pointed to Sasuke and Sakura who were examining their teammate worriedly.

"Hey Naruto, how are you?" Sakura said softly, looking into his eyes.

Naruto huffed and painfully slid his legs onto the bed.

"I'm fine," he muttered, not looking up. Guilt weighed down Sasuke and Sakura's hearts. Black rings encircled Naruto's eyes, his tiredness showing on his gaunt face. Kakashi scooped up 6 pills laying on the bedside table along with a glass of water, and offered them to Naruto, who lavished them up quickly. The room went silent, except for the gulping and exhale as Naruto took his medicine.

Finished, Naruto relaxed back into the bed with a frown. He wanted to try walk again.

"At least you have a bit of colour in your face," Sakura smiled, admiring his rosy pink cheeks. Sasuke nodded and headed for the door.

"I'll grab us all some food from downstairs. Shall I bring it up, or would you like to try come down?" Sasuke said, conjuring up some enthusiasm. He just wanted to make it up to Naruto.

Kakashi looked up at him with a quizzical look, but nodded none the less.

"I think it'd be better if Naruto-"

"I can try walk down there," Naruto said, twisting in the bed and letting his legs drop to the floor. Holding in his winces, Naruto slid a hand onto the bedside table, trying to hoist himself up. Sakura went to aid him, only to be rejected. Now to think about it, she hadn't seen Naruto smile since she got here. She wanted to change that.

Finally getting to his feet, he leaned against the wall and slowly, painfully, he made it to the door. By now, Sasuke had already left the room to order food. Kakashi stood and followed Naruto out the door, standing closely by his side in case. Eventually, Sakura exited to room as well, and slid the door shut.

After the arduous trek down the hallway, the team of 3 made it to some stairs. Kakashi felt a bead of sweat trickle down his brow, worried that Naruto would be pushing himself too hard to get down the stairs. Feeling like he should intervene, Kakashi put a supporting hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Please don't push yourself, Naruto. I can easily… carry you down the stairs if that's easier?"

The boy's blue eyes reflected in his sensei's. Inhaling a large gulp of air, Naruto shook his head.

"It's now or never, Kakashi Sensei. I can do it," he said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself too.

Nodding, Kakashi slowly took the steps, Sakura remaining silent behind him. Naruto slid one foot down one stair, followed by the other. Only 11 more stairs to go. Feeling small bursts of pain through his back and legs, Naruto found it difficult to keep quiet. Grunting slightly, he felt a little light headed. But he had to go on. Continuously sliding his legs down the stairs, ignoring the pain, Naruto's felt tired. Yet that wouldn't stop him either.

Sakura wanted to rush to Naruto's side each time he grunted but knew that her help would be refused again. She had to earn back his trust, much like Sasuke.

Kakashi also found it difficult to not intervene. Naruto's movements became sluggish the last few stairs, and he noticed him puffing after each step.

3 stairs. 2 stairs. 1 stair.

Naruto began to feel sick. But he was nearly there. If he made these stairs, he'd be so happy. His feet slid down, meeting a solid, continuous floor.

"Well done Naruto!" both Sakura and Kakashi beamed, proud that their teammate made it down the stairs by himself.

A smile spread across Naruto's face. Sakura immediately felt better. At least, she did for a bit. Naruto's hand went to his mouth, the other to his stomach. He made retching noises, clenching his eyes shut.

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled and rushed to his side. But a hand pushed him away, as Naruto fought the urge to throw up.

Naruto gagged in his mouth once. Twice. Thrice. He held it in, the wave of sickness passing slowly. Leaning against the wall, he started puffing, but looked at the other 2, who returned his gaze with a concerned one.

"I'm alright," Naruto wheezed. "But do you mind if I lean against you two for the rest of the way?"

Bolting to his side, both Sakura and Kakashi hitched Naruto's arms over their shoulders. Sakura almost shuddered at the icy and bony touch of Naruto's arm. She really had made a mistake in not seeing Naruto sooner. Shuffling down the hallway, the cafeteria sign magnified as they continued, and soon, the doors were before their eyes.

AN:

I am so sorry I haven't updated this in so long! But I want to thank everyone for sticking around and continuing to read this! I've had school unfortunately, so most of my writing is essays, not fanfics :I

But I promise I haven't forgotten anything.


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